Crystal Angel
by Chandra1
Summary: Hermione's gone through a change that has gotten the Professors worried, Snape is the only one that can relate, and he confronts her one night about it. What results in that night is a nightmare for both - stronger and more evil than the Dark Lord himself
1. Transition

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Crystal Angel I made up, it seems like a good name for a drug the forlorn would take. ::shrugs::. Inspiration came from two movies (both excellent, go watch them). _Requiem for a Dream_ and _White Oleander. _I don't know if I'm going to write a second chapter. All depends. 

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Crystal Angel

She had changed in her fifth year. Not truly physically, she matured in that aspect the minimum any girl would. But emotionally - she was not the girl he had seen nearly everyday.

Hardships, emotional hardships. They did not mount to the ones running in is head, but to her they were demons, carrying with them their own sins, sucking burdens so big, no book could hold their weight in volume, no chapter covered her, calmed her. 

She sat in his office now, sitting in front of the fire. Orange flames sent colors of a sunset across pale skin, lips that were the carriers of deep blood red Muggle goo; they illuminated chocolate eyes, hidden behind layers of black eye color, lined in black. He guessed that she wore it because some immature dick said something about her appearance to her face, or worse, she had overheard.

He stood in the doorframe away from her, watching her profile lighten up in flames from the fireplace. It was the beginning of her sixth year, and he remembered the transition he had seen towards the end of her fifth year was only the beginning. He found her in the library so late at night, she was bound to be there, but not so late into the night, when the doors were locked up, and the over lookers sleeping. He came to her slowly, ready to frighten in his normal, evil way. Throw a smart remark; give a terrible detention (which even then, she'd be taking notes, not wanting to miss a lesson she would never be taught in class). But as he closed the distance between himself and the book that her painted face was buried into, his anger lessened, and a pity took over. In small amounts, but it quickly gained the fore burner, and he stood there for a moment, just watching.

He had noticed this transition along with the rest of the school, not as openly concerned, but with an air of wonder. He doubted she turned "gothic", but - saw the dark as a cover, as did he, a shield from the terrible remarks thrown at her, the people who left her, and the people who never gave her a chance now. 

"What are you doing here, Ms. Granger?" his voice barked into the library, burning out in the flames of the fireplace roaring behind her.

Without looking up from her book, she answered in a tone that came with the transition: "Couldn't sleep." came a flat, to the point tone. 

He stiffened up and came closer to her. "It is hours after curfew." he said in his icy whisper, walking slowly to her table.

"So?" she questioned, turning a page in the book.

Outraged, he lifted a hand to the spine of the book, and yanked it down, leaning in closely, he fiercely scolded, "I am your Professor, Ms. Granger. I will not tolerate being spoken to like that." her dark eyes flickered up to his face, and he saw a mist in them behind the curtain of frizzy brown hair that swept her face. 

"Professor." she said in an ordered, blunt tone. "I prefer being here, then in that Common Room, being ignored - and then if someone must say something to me, it's to make some incredibly rude or false accusation on my being!" her voice rose in intensity as she spoke, her eyes flaring in rage, she ran a hand through her hair, and continued looking him in the eyes. "I'm not going back."

The two friends she had had, Potter and Weasley, started this whole mess. Towards the end of their fifth year, they ran off with different girls, shoving her to the backburner, letting her burn. Then the taunts continued - no doubt from his own house- but became more Inter-House related. People seemed sick of her bossy nature, her depth of knowledge, but never wanting to make their beliefs public - for she was the girl "Harry Potter" befriended - until she had no one to back her up, and it came down like brimstone. 

Pity again took the fore burner, as well as a terrible dread in his stomach, reaching to his heart of this girl's future. "You remind me of myself when I was your age." he said without thinking, sliding himself into a chair across from her. Taking in her shocked eyes, he continued. "Always the keeper of knowledge, always the know-it-all. Books are friends, people…too ignorant and stupid to speak of or to. People, always looking on the outside, and never realizing what they could gain by just knowing you - but not that you would let them, of course." his eyes were focused to her side, staring into the cold stone of the mantel.

She moved, and he heard her voice. "Professor Snape," she started, "why aren't you just going to deduct points from the house, and give me a detention?" she questioned. Almost as if she were afraid to hear anything but from him. 

His eyes darted back to her. "Because I can't." he answered, she leaned forward, mimicking his position, arms on the tables, hands intertwined. 

"And why not?" she asked. 'This girl…only questions and answers come from her…can't anyone notice how she is willing to take whatever you give her?' he thought as he looked for a way to answer her question.

How crazy this was going to sound! "Because I am worried about you." he saw a flash of shock go through her eyes.

"I can take care of myself." she said, leaning back in her chair. He noticed her reaching for the book, but he got it faster and kept it by him, she crossed her arms with exhaustion of this conversation.

"I realize that." he said, flipping through the book. "You know…I must have read every book in here at least twice." he said in a memorable tone and her eyebrows shot up in a look of quiet admiration. 

"And this one," he fingered the copy he held in his hands, "is an _excellent_ book." He handed it back to her, and she held it in her arms as if it were her life - which - he thought - it probably was.

A weird silence settled, and they sat there, unbelieving of how they were acting. The fire crackled, in the distance an animal sounded.

Then Hermione's voice came out, and it cracked a bit as she questioned. "You…you are worried about me?" Her eyes misting more, as if this touched her deep down in her heart.

"Let's go to my office." he suggested after a nod. "I would hate for someone to see us…" and he was shocked at her grin to this statement. 

"That sounds good." she said, gathering her belongings and making way to the door leading to the hallway.

And so here they were, when they arrived, he told her to sit, he preferred to stand, and there was silence, while the girl was making herself get used to this awkward situation.

"Would you care for anything to drink?" he asked, getting himself a glass of whiskey.

"No, no thank you." she quietly said. Silence again. And then she spoke again. "Why do you worry about me?" she asked, still staring into the flames, and he wondered if she had a secret desire to be engulfed in them.

He sighed and took a sip from the glass, letting the alcohol burn him before he answered: "Because you remind me of myself at your age." The answer was repeated for a reason, but her response was a mild shock to him.

"I won't join Voldemort." she said thickly, looking to him. Her answer made him stop for a moment, and it took him a minute to recover.

"That's what I said, until given the chance." he stated, eyes staring into the distance, glass rolling in his hands.

"Why did you join him?" she asked. And he bit his lip. He was ashamed at what he had done, feared his life over it. But all in all - he figured he deserved to die for what he did.

"Because he promised me a life of importance." he said sadly as he sat down in an armchair adjacent to the couch in which she sat. Staring into the fire, he continued, "He admired my intelligence, he called on me personally. He relished in my talents." he dared to sound proud. "But all he gave me was a life filled with pain, and horror, grief. I was his slave. I bowed and sunk like the rest. And there came a point where a curtain was almost lifted from my eyes - and I saw the dead before me. And I saw the absurdity of it all." he took another drink from the glass, and closed his eyes as it burned. "I do not think," he said, with his eyes still closed, "that you will go to Him for your status of importance. I just worry you'll do something that later in life you will regret. Ms. Granger, I've lived where you are. The world hates you - and they don't bother to hide it. I've seen you change from a nice, curious, open in her talents schoolgirl, into a dark, introverted, hidden schoolgirl. You are still curious, and willing to learn, but you don't show your talents. And God help me, but I miss that eager girl, and so does every other Professor here." he confessed to her. He liked to see her hand in the air, and wished he could help her along, but roles had to be played. If she were in Slytherin, no doubt in his mind that the couch she was sitting on now would be a second bed, after long nights of debate and study.

"But I _do_ care, just nobody else does!" he heard her say. He looked up and saw her looking towards him. Black tears fell down her face, smearing what must have taken detail and time to apply. Black tears gathered on her chin, and fell in between her breasts that were gathered up in a low cut sweater she had squeezed herself into. She wasn't in school robes, but instead Muggle clothing, which was a black low cut V-neck sweater, and black pants. 

A feeling rose into Snape's mind, a feeling he tried to push from his mind and his heart ever since the day in her fifth year, when she walked in one-week introvert, and the makeup. First it started small, a bit of black eyeliner, maybe some red gloss - nothing like the blood red lips, black-eyed girl sitting next to him. The feeling of want grew within him as she grew into her role. This was beauty to him, along with her knowledge, and he couldn't stand the thought of thinking of his student like this. He pushed the feelings deeper down, but now - with her so close, and so vulnerable to him, they came back, and at full speed. It was a selfish desire, because she was so miserable in her role, and he gained absolute wonder from it. She hid behind the curtain of hair, and layers of makeup, and he loved it. 

But as she sat there, and he watched her cry, watching as black lines crept down her face, the feeling of just wanting to hold her, make everything alright came into his soul. He hoped if he could show her a light, she would stay as she was, with him. 

He got up and sat next to her on the couch, and he felt her shudder. "What did they do to you?" he asked in a way that voiced his disgust and hatred for the ones he called "they", as he lifted fingers to stroke back her hair to behind her ear, and then stroking her face with his thumb. She looked at him without moving her head, and he continued, "What did the world do to you?" 

"It's stupid…" she said, flicking her eyes to the ground. "Stupid teenage mess." she cried. 

"No - you're stronger than that…stronger than the ones who cannot see you for who you are." Snape said, and her eyes shut at this comment. "It's deeper than that…isn't it?" She let out a quiet wail and leaned into him, and he put his arms around her small frame, felt her cry into his body. "Tell me…please…" he said. He was beside himself at this point; a moment he had wanted for so long was coming true. He knew she never told anyone her sorrows, and even he was the last person she would run to. 

"The world…I hate the world." she cried. "Harry and Ron, leaving me alone. I was already starting to go down, and then they just left me, left me. Didn't even say goodbye to me, either. And I hear people talking about how terrible I am, or how ugly I am, how bitchy I am. Oh…God. It's miserable." She rested her color-streaked head on his chest. And he lifted a hand to run through her hair.

"Yes…the world is a miserable place, a terrible place. They don't deserve you, Hermione…nobody at Hogwarts has the privilege of deserving you." he said, knowing that this was all in vain, starting Monday everything would be the same. 

"Even you?" she asked, not looking at him. Again, her response shocked him, and his body jumped when she spoke the words. His hand stopped in her hair, and he looked down at her. 

"Even me." he sadly admitted. "But do tell me…Hogwarts surely cannot be your world. Something else would have to change you…" he probed. 

Hermione let out a shudder of breath. "My life at school is bad, and at home it is worse. My parents do not accept me for who I am. They consider me a freak, luckily they put enough money in my wizard account, and I had a Muggle job, because towards the middle of the summer, they had enough of me…and threw me out. Claiming I was a abnormality, Satan re-incarnated." he shut his eyes and held her closer, and felt her arms going around his waist. She cried the next bit, "Professor…I found a group of kids who were also kicked out of their homes, not for being a witch, but for drugs, and pregnancies, and homosexuality, you know - all the things Muggle parents kick their kids out for. They changed me…" she shuddered, and he had terrible visions of what she had to do with these kids. 

"You weren't out selling yourself…where you?" he asked worriedly. She was quiet for a long while. "Hermione, answer me." he said. And just got sobs in return. "Oh God…no…Hermione…" he groaned in an inward pain. 

"Sometimes…when I knew I wouldn't have enough to get me here. Professor - do you realize how much it costs to come here? My job at the local super-market wouldn't have cut it…even with my parent's money. They refused to spend anymore." she cried and then pulled away from him, balling up on the other side of the couch. 

He should have known…why did he stop himself from coming to her earlier when the transition started? He should have known. 

"Professor…I'm so alone…all the time. Nobody cares anymore. I don't care anymore. I see Ron, and I just want to die. I see them both, and they're so happy without me, and I wonder what I did wrong…" she cried. 

"You did nothing wrong…" he said from the other side of the couch. "It's their own stupidity that won't allow them to see past their bimbos for girlfriends and see the real beauty in front of their own eyes." They caught each other's eyes for a moment. "Hermione…" he said, coming near to her again. "People like us…the intellectuals, the odd ones, the ones that have half a brain more than the others and actually use it. The ones who care about the details, and care about the results. People like us - we're meant to be alone. We are meant to be lonely. We are meant to be in these ruts. Because the world doesn't deserve people like us, Hermione. They don't deserve to know us, to converse with us. They're too stupid for their own good, and it only leads to trouble on our part." his eyes burned into her soul. 

"I don't want to be alone. I want to be a part of something. I want to be _loved again_." she said as he brought his hand to her face, wiping away the wet black streaks running down, but couldn't get the dried up tears that had settled in their places. 

He sat there for a moment, pondering. Finally, he said, "Hermione, if I give you something…will you swear you won't release it out into the open?" he asked, hoping with a wish and a prayer he was trusting the right girl. Her eyes got wide at the endless possibilities of what he could give her. Slowly she shook her head 'yes', and verbally answered. 

He got up from the couch, and over to his desk, and dug around in a drawer, until he came back with a phial of crystal clear liquid, it looked like baby oil, swirling around in the phial. He got to his knees in front of her tucked frame, and held it in his forefinger and his thumb. Looking through it, and seeing her eye magnified hundreds of times in the liquid, and she looked into it - and saw the same. 

"Crystal Angel…" he breathed. He heard her breath shudder from the other side of the phial. "That's the street name for it, anyways. It's a hundred times more powerful than any Muggle drug you'll ever try. It's happiness in a bottle…it's rapture for your worries and your regrets. The sky opens and all you see is the blinding sun pouring into your pupils, burning them to a point beyond pain, and you fall…fall into the colors of a sunset, flying past you at speeds unimaginable." he said with a dreamy look in his eyes. Her hand rose to the phial, and grasped it with her grasp, holding it close. 

"How much?" she asked, the same dreamy look in her eyes at the advantage of being happy and fuzzy warm again. Falling into the sun, she looked at the phial as if this were her savior in a bottle, her fix to all problems. She took her eyes off the phial for a second to look at Snape. "How much?" she asked again. 

His hands on her knees, he followed the phial up into the air with his eyes as her hands guided it there. "It's on the house, but only drink half…I want to fly and fall with you…" he breathed, his hand reaching up for the phial, and bringing it to their level again, his nail broke the seal over it, and he guided her hand to her lips, and watched in a lustful, dreamy way as she tilted back the substance into her mouth. 

She felt the oily substance enter her mouth, and felt it's warmth and saltiness that was like a lover coming into her mouth, pushing it down, she felt warm fingers trickle around her body, and if she pictured hard enough, she could feel loving arms wrap around her body, holding her, warming her, loving her, protecting her. She opened her eyes when she felt Snape's hand pull away from her mouth, she watched him drink quickly the remanding liquid, and watched as his face melted into a forgive-able bliss, eyes higher and darker than she had ever seen him. Boring her eyes into his, she watched as the long black tunnels got longer and longer, and a light in the end shone on, a tiny pinprick of light in the back of his tunneled eyes.

She felt herself go up into bliss just the same, and felt herself collapse under the colors of the sun into his arms, and it felt like home, the feeling of his warmth against her, his hands on her. They lay on the floor, flying in the passing colors, bodies sensitive more now than ever before, everything felt good, everything felt all right. They were higher than heaven, and no one was going to bring them down. 

Running hands through her hair, which now felt like thin strands of electrified silk weaving in and out of his fingers, Snape never knew how much he had missed. He loved this liquid, and when by himself he could sit there - running for hours, chasing the Angel that haunted his chemically induced visions. But, never had he caught the Angel he chased. Only when Hermione fell into his arms did he know he had caught her. 

They were on the verge of falling, the sunset's colors slowing down, and she shuttered for more on his body, and before he fell, he grasped her hair, and said, looking up - watching a spider on the dungeon ceiling crawling towards it's prey: "Stay with me…and you'll never be lonely again." 

Her body shuttered, and crawled closer to him, as if trying to crawl into his body, her breathing became faster as he watched the spider wrap it's prey in fine thread, over and over again, watching the victim shake and jerk, trying to get free, until suddenly it stopped moving, and the prey was completely covered. Snape watched as the spider crawled on top of the newly wrapped meal, and he was certain it was sucking blood and soul out of the dead creature when Hermione moaned on top of him, both falling into darkness that was the aftermath, "Yes…yes…"


	2. My Responsibly

Disclaimer: Same things apply as in Chapter One. However, I'm seeing some parallels in this story to _A.I…_and I'm not trying to make it sound like I'm copying…I think, if I should continue this (I'm working on a *huge* story of novel proportions also), there should be maybe…two or three more chapters. I will most likely finish it, I can't start something without finishing it - it's my way in writing. BTW- thank you to everyone who reviewed. You are the reasons why I'm continuing =).

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Crystal Angel - "Chapter Two: My Responsibly "

The Crystal Angel. There she was, just like he saw her every time he was in her world, under her control. She was standing on the cliff of a rock, over looking the ocean. Snape could hear the rumbling of waves, crashing into the sides of the rocks, he could see the salty, cold ocean breeze ruffle through her long, white hair, making it fly like curtains of silk through the wind. She stood, with her enormous wings, spread far into the air around her, light from the setting sun casting a glow on them, making them burn with a golden glisten. He stood far away, admiring from a distance, how many nights had he spent chasing his Crystal Angel? She always was running from him, in a graceful way she slipped past him dose after dose. And he kept on chasing her, one day she'll be yours, he thought.

He cautiously stood there, making no noise, his prey right now unaware of his presence. The Crystal Angel moved, and he froze in a spot during the movement. She was going to take flight any minute now, leaving him this time.

No. She was moving her head slowly. And she looked over a white silk and lace covered shoulder with the Hunter green eyes she bore into his mind with each dose he took. She spoke to him through blood red lips, in a tone so wonderful, so sweet:

"Come, Severus. Come to me. We'll watch the sunset together." she said, the wind again catching her hair. The Crystal Angel lifted a pale, porcelain doll hand into the air and motioned him towards her.

He followed the wave of her hand with footsteps drawing nearer, when he reached the edge, he stood beside her, heart pounding out of his chest, he felt the wind current from her beating wings, felt the tips of them pound in his back every few seconds. Feeling that moment where they were physically in contact reminded him of one thing: Heaven.

He tasted the salt in his mouth, and felt it in his eyes as it came from the ocean. The wind blew his hair and his robes violently with the silk sheets of hair and robes standing beside him. 

"Oh…" he said, feeling faint, "Crystal Angel. My love I found you." he proclaimed, falling to his knees in the worship of the One he wanted for hundreds, probably closer to thousands, of doses. And here he was, beside her, smelling the smells of honey and syrup that poured from her; she was taller than usual from his position on the ground, knelt down, head down - in complete trust and worship of the One he had known for so long.

She ran a hand through his hair, and it was like flames burning into his scalp, followed by ice - freezing the pain away.

The waves crashed against their cliff with roars that shook the ground they were on. Spit from the waves flew into the air and landed on his face. 

"Speak to me, oh Great Angel, for I've gone so long for a whisper." Snape begged from the ground, feeling the dirt and grass graze his face.

Silence, and he felt his heart tear for the withdrawal from her voice.

"I don't trust many people this close to me." she said highly, she ordered him to stand, and he obeyed, feeling unworthy of such trust, of such honor to stand by her side. She continued, "But I know you, Severus. I remember you. Such a smart boy, such a young boy, such a troubled boy."

Snape cringed as she welcomed back his childhood. Yes, he remembered the first time he saw the Great Crystal Angel. It wasn't the first time the blood of her was brought to his lips, but rather months afterward, phials full afterward.

In his third year, a sixth year he highly respected asked him if he would care to join him in a walk. Stunned by the gesture, Snape quickly followed, willing to do anything that might keep this friendship with the man he so desperately wanted to befriend. 

They walked some ways to the deepest dungeon in the castle, where more men (and women) of higher years stood waiting in the dark room. Most were Slytherins, but Snape noticed a few other houses, standing in the silence.

The man who brought him here quickly turned to set Snape straight before allowing him further. 

"One word - to anyone - about what takes place in this room…" he said, with the most severe and frightening serious look he could give, "and I will personally kill you." His faced changed, and he looked Snape in the eyes, "I brought you here because of your strengths. Only the strong survive under Her. We have as much trust as we can give in you. She will come to you personally when she feels you are ready - all we can do is prepare you. Understood?"

Snape did not understand, but the man said he trusted him - said he thought Snape was strong! "Yes, I understand." he replied. 

And they stood, waiting, until two men, actual men, with dark looks and evil eyes, walked into the room, handing out phials of clear, oily liquid while the receivers dropped coins into a bucket. They made their way to the sixth year and Snape. The man dropped twice as much change into the bucket, getting two phials in return.

"The blood of Her. She is expensive to obtain - drink up - and you will see the sunset in the glow of her wings. You must pay for your own now on." the sixth year said, opening his phial, and pouring it down his throat. 

Snape, not wanting to seem childish, did the same. He felt the warm fingers travel through his veins. And he felt like he was flying, colors of the sunset flying past him at unimaginable speeds. He fell unto the floor along with most of the other users - and groped around for new things to touch, new things to taste, his body was electrified and everything was just so right. 

Months later, Snape was curled on his bed inside his home - withdrawal from the months of weekly doses plagued his brain. Over time, along with the colors - he began to see the outlining of wings - great wings. He was curled in a corner of the bed by the wall, fingers tearing through his hair, body dying for the need. His father had just gotten done training him for the needs of the Dark Wizards, his mother looking on from a distance - not knowing what to say - as if there _was_ something to say. He mother never spoke to him, and never touched him, always distant. His father ordered that…saying that female contact made a Man weak, his love for his mother would stop him from gaining power.

That's why when he heard the feminine voice, so soft, so wonderful to his ears, call him by his first name he was stunned. And he was shocked, turning slowly, half expecting his mother to be there.

But instead, a sight he had never seen stood before him. A woman, tall in height, thin in frame, with skin so pale it glowed, eyes a hunter green he had never seen before, and lips so red - they looked like someone had cut the skin, and the blood settled in its natural liquid color. Her hair, long and glowing white, flown with the non-existent wind along with her white robes, flying. And behind her, great wings that were as wide as thirty of him - glowing Gold underneath their white base.

"Don't be afraid, my child." she said at his stunned face, "For you know who I am."

"The Great Crystal Angel?" he asked, unbelieving. She closed her eyes and nodded. He sank from the bed onto his knees. 

"There, there, my love." she spoke with a tone he had never experienced. So loving, so soft, so feminine, like a mother soothing her child after a terrible scare. The voice cradled his scarred body and held him, like the mother he never had. "Severus, come here, my love." and she opened her arms as he got from his knees to go to her, and settled in the warmth and softness of her breasts, "You are such a special boy, Severus. You are such a gift; you are my favorite from the rest. They say you are strong, and I agree, you are magnificent, you are a wonder to even one like myself." the Great Angel told him, running her hands through his hair. He was in an unimaginable state of bliss - he was in Heaven. 

Over the years, he ran to the Crystal Angel phials for the meaning of Love, for the warmth of her, and while he rode the colors of the sunset, it was only in her arms. But, it couldn't last forever, nothing spectacular ever did, and once he joined the Death Eaters, she became furious with him, screaming and yelling at him, refusing to love him anymore. Still highly dependant on the liquid, he took it, every week, only to hear her screams through the colors. 

He had quit the Death Eaters because he could no longer take the fact that the only thing that ever loved him was away. She was the curtain that was ripped from his eyes; the Great Crystal Angel saved him, even though she hated what he did. And now, after years of chasing her, trying to win her trust again, here he was - standing by her side, on the cliff of beginning of his new life. He would do anything to keep it just like this. 

"Who is that?" she sounded, bringing him out of the memories of his past. Her pale hand pointed to a figure on the beach. The figure was a girl, playing with the waves, walking along them, as they splashed along her feet. Dressed head-to-toe in black, frizzy brown hair flying in her face. He recognized the deep blood lips from so far away.

"Hermione…" he whispered, and the Crystal Angel turned to him.

"Severus, who is she?" she ordered in his face. "Who _dares_ to come in-between us again?" she face was turning horrid, evil, in her eyes, fire played. 

"She is a student…I had to protect her. I gave her a dose of you; she could rise above the hatred she is going through…only through you - oh great One. My Love…" he pleaded, he knew what was coming, she would hate him again, the Crystal Angel would run from him again, trust misguided again. 

She advanced on him, and he fell to his knees in panicked praise and prayer for his Angel. He only stopped when he felt a punch from her hand across his head, and he looked to her, pleading with his eyes. He loved her, loved her more and more every time he saw her, all he wanted was for her to be happy, to be loved by her. 

"I want her dead, Severus." the Great Angel ordered, advancing on him still. Snape stopped his pleading for himself, and looked at her with shock in his eyes. 

Dead? Hermione…Dead? No, he loved her, and all he wanted was to help her. Why couldn't the Crystal Angel see he was spreading her good soul to another person in need? Last he remembered, he was holding Hermione, and he wasn't alone, she wasn't alone. He felt important once again. And then the Crystal Angel came, and reminded him just how important he was. 

"No." he said, not believing he was again fighting with her. "I won't kill her!" he yelled. 

"Of course you will." she said, calmly, "Because you love me more than you love her. You're willing to die for me, you are willing to _murder _for me!" she said pointedly.

"NO! NOT HERMIONE! ANYONE BUT HER!" he stood screaming, and the next thing he knew, he was falling. He fell into the water, felt the rocks and the salty water jab him at all angles. He just lost again the thing he loved for so long, and fought for to have once more for so long. He was so angry with himself, the Great Crystal Angel wanted Hermione dead, and the Great Crystal Angel always got what she wanted. 

He felt a rage in him, and it started within his heart, boiling until it reached his throat, and with the last bit of oxygen he had, he hadn't discovered he was trapped in the water, he let out a primal roar, screaming a painful, angry roar, feeling the air bubbles tickle his face on their way up, he screamed.

Snape woke with a start, and a fleeing moment of panic flew through him as he gathered his surroundings, answers to questions like, "Why am I on the floor next to a dying fire?" "Why is a girl curled on me?" "Why am I holding her so close?" Hermione hadn't moved from the spot on his chest from the previous night as he played back what had happened. He saw the spider web on the ceiling, and the cocoon of the victim, dead, and the spider, hanging there- as if he watched Snape and Hermione, and wondered how much thread it would take to kill them too. 

Hermione. Oh, Hermione. His own hands would murder the beauty and intelligence on his chest right now. He felt a wave of nausea hit him hard at the thought, and he threw Hermione off him, running towards the bathroom in a blind panic as he felt the vomit come up his throat. He reached the toilet just at the last second, and threw up heavily into the bowl. When he was finished, he hugged the bowl for a minute, starring into the toilet bowl, watching the bile and the blood swirl in the water. Saliva hung from his mouth, and his hair clung to the sides of his face with sweat, lightheaded, he rested his face on the side of the tub, and just laid there. 

After what seemed to him like an hour, but the clock said was only five minutes, Snape fought off another wave of the mess he was hit with earlier. Standing up, he flushed the toilet, and went to the sink, rinsing out his mouth, washing his face, and looked at his appearance in the mirror.

_Cold Blooded Killer._ An old Cold Blooded Killer, at that. A puppet…worthless. 

But I'm worth the world to my Angel. He thought with a blissful smile. How she'll be so proud of me when I carry out this.

Snape walked back out into the office, and picked Hermione off the floor, so light, so fragile, so beautiful. The black streaks went down her face and down her chest still, and she moaned as he laid her on the couch. He couldn't kill her now. A part of him couldn't, he had no reason to. Instead, he threw some Floo powder into the fireplace, and called for her Head of House.

Minerva McGonagall's head appeared in the fireplace, apparently worried, and her eyes darted all around. 

"I have found Ms. Granger, Minerva." Snape said bluntly. "If you would be so kind to come to my office and bring her back into her rooms."

A wash of relief went across Minerva's face. "Yes, oh Thank God." she was in his office a few moments later. "Where'd you find her?" she asked. 

Snape looked at Hermione. "It's Ms. _Granger_, Minerva, where do you think I found her?" he snapped. 

Minerva rolled her eyes, "The library?" Snape nodded his head.

"She was in there after curfew. And I couldn't punish her, because - well, Minerva, you know. We've all been worried about her, and she reminded me of myself at that age, I looked it as an opportunity to discuss it with her." Snape explained.

She looked at him unbelieving, "You didn't punish her? And…you were _worried_ about her?" she asked, clearly shocked. 

Snape rolled his eyes, and went to the desk, pulling out some papers that needed grading. "Of course I was worried about her. But I wasn't about to become all open about it. I just didn't want her to fall into the same holes I did." he said.

Minerva noticed Hermione's makeup. "Why is her makeup running?" she asked. In fact, she also wondered why she had been sleeping in Snape's office. 

Snape sighed. "I didn't _do _anything to her, Minerva. I offered for her to come back in here, to talk about it. She came, and practically cried her eyes out on my couch. Earlier she had mentioned she didn't want to go back to the Common Room, so I let her sleep in here. I also gave her some sleep draught. Because, Lord knows she needed it." hopefully that'd cover up any side effects someone would notice from the Crystal Angel. 

Minerva sighed. "I wasn't saying you did anything to her. I'm just glad you helped her." she said sadly. "Hopefully she's found something in you that she hasn't found anywhere else, and you'll help her through all this." She picked up Hermione in her arms, and made for the fireplace to take her to her dorm to sleep. 

"Minerva!" Snape called before she stepped in. She turned around. 

"Please, Minerva, treat the girl with some respect, and some carefulness. Her situation is much worse than we thought." Snape said from his desk, and Minerva nodded, as she understood. "Also," he added, "tell her that she is more than welcome to come here anytime she needs me." Minerva smiled at this great show of hospitality. She had never heard anything like it - come from Snape at least. 

She stepped through the flames, and Snape knew Hermione would come back soon, wanting more, needing more. Somehow the colors of the sunset on Golden wings worked people into slaves for Her. Snape closed his eyes, and wondered how in the Hell he was going to carry out the Great Crystal Angel's order. Through the flames, Snape could swear he saw his Angel's eyes through the flames, burning into his soul, telling him to go through with it.


	3. The Lovers

Disclaimer: Same stuff applies, Harry Potter isn't mine, so far - I haven't seen any resemblance to any other sources. Two more chapters to go, and then back to my "novel" fic. Hmmm…this is beginning to be a trip for me, lol. I feel as if I'm going crazy trying to picture the confusion and speed that their minds must be going through. 

**__**

Crystal Angel- "Chapter Three: The Lovers"

Hermione lie in bed, weeks after the talk with Snape in his chambers that lead to her experience with Crystal Angel. Her body craved the feeling again, of her Lover. That's what it was like to her, a Lover, worshipping her like she never had been before. 

Her body was just thrown on the bed; she had collapsed on top of it, and shut the curtains around her, leaving her in darkness, and in silence. She pulled a Muggle CD player from under the pillow, and bewitched it to play, putting the headphones to her ears, the trippy music played, reminding her of the parties and the underground raves, the chemicals she let herself into, the situations she walked into. Amazing, she thought, how I'm still alive and well. 

"Come on." Ron's voice came out of nowhere inside her mind, her past, her little memory she put herself into. He was leaning over her bed, under Harry's cloak, getting her up to go out. It was incredibly late at night; if they were caught…she didn't want to think about it. "Hermione, come on, let's go." his voice beckoned. She pulled herself out of bed, and laughing, they ran down the corridors of the castle.

Hermione frowned at her memory. Every time, during the summer, she had to go out to make money in the most unrespectable way for this year, she never saw the man, she only remembered this night, only remembered his face, his hands. Blindly, she reached into her pillowcase and pulled out a bottle, and in darkness, pulled out a pill. She put it in her mouth, and let it sizzle, let it dissolve. Thank God for the Muggles. The tablet in her system, the music got louder, the beats pounded harder into her soul, causing what felt like ripples going to her toes with each beat. Her mind sizzled, and then flew, the memory coming in clearer, more vivid. 

Running, they were running down the halls, and then Ron stopped her and put her up against a wall, kissing her through her giggles. First love, this was, the perfect schoolgirl Hermione - in love! And what a wonderful love, she thought as they fiercely kissed, using the wall as support. She felt his hands run down the front of her robe, and struggle to undo buttons and latches, to get closer to her. Her hands ran down the length of his back, resting at his waist, pulling him closer. Buttons undid, hands searching, they tried to keep the sounds down of their voices, of their moans, but it was so hard.

Hermione pulled her hands up into her hair as the tablet she just took when full force, and she felt lighter than air, anything possible, never ending. The music pounded harder, and had now a life of it's own, she wanted to scream, wanted to cry, wanting to relieve the ecstasy she was feeling into a another soul, to hear him moan, to hear him scream while she was behind him. 

She heard Ron pant her name, over and over, with forceful blows inside her system. She heard she replies, vulgar to anything outside the situation, but it drove him on, deeper, harder, faster. She smelled the sweat, and the tears, tasted the liquids, and the confusion of emotions and hormones. She felt the flight of them, and then it exploded inside her mind along with her memory, and Hermione found herself suppressing a scream of Love and reaching out to the invisible Ron on top of her bed, the music still being terrible in it's pounding, not slowing, as Hermione mind flew, and she gripped the sheets in a rage of feeling, conflicting emotions. Again she reached to the redhead that was once hers, but was off - with another girl (who Snape said was nothing but a Bimbo), taking in the pleasures that were once reserved just for her. 

Snape, oh Snape. Bring me you, bring me back the phial of the one you call Crystal Angel, let me feel the warmth of your body and feel your chest rumble as you continue to torture me with deep words of inspiration and intelligence. Tell me I deserve better, tell me I deserve the world, her thoughts ran with the pounding music, faster, faster, harder, faster, more crazy by the second, another beat came in to counteract the first, and a siren whirled in the background of it all. She was sinking in the bed she was laying on, which now felt of feathers and down. A pulsing light came into her view, and she kicked and grunted, knowing not to make more noise than possible. She grinded her body against the air, hugged her pillow tight, as the pill…or the tablet - she no longer cared…carried her off into space, past the moon, past the stars. 

White.

Bright white light.

She remained still…music still pounding…rhythmic pulses confusing her further and further. Her mind still flew, but she stayed still, not knowing what just happened. 

A voice.

An angry voice. She felt the headphones being pulled from her ears…the music fading as the headphones were being dragged from her ears. 

The voice again, and she listened. 

"Professor Snape demands to see you in his office, Granger." the cold words of a girl snapped. Then darkness as the girl jerked the curtains back together. 

Hermione laid there again, quiet, still flying. She knew the words and the girl were real. Slowly, she tried to ground herself until she got to the dungeons. 

The Dungeons.

Snape.

Crystal Angel. 

She flew from her bed, and ran to the mirror that was on the wall on the other side of the dorm. She straightened her long black skirt, and then the top; a deep purple three quarter wrap around, with the same low cut V-neck. She threw her school robe. Quickly re applied eyeliner and lipstick (still wooing a bit from the flight she was trying to control, and it threatened to take control once again), and hurried to the dungeons. 

Pounding, on his door. Snape was concentrating deeply into the flames, where he saw Great Angel's eyes, demanding to know why the girl was not dead yet. His mind was overloaded his mind was panicked. What would she do if Hermione was not dead soon? He called her for many reasons, many reasons…he wanted to see her, and he wanted to be with her again. A part of him wanted to rebel against the Great Angel. He wanted to see if she had survived the weeks without him close by. Nobody had yet noticed the looks he gave her, not even her. He watched her, studied her. Oh, please let that be her pounding on that door. 

He crossed the room and opened the door. And there stood his lady before him, higher than the clouds, eyes as dark as night and lips as red as blood. Her hair haphazardly in her face. She rocked back and forth before him, back and forth, trying to pen some of the energy she felt running through her veins. 

"Professor Snape." she said.

"Ms. Granger." he repeated the polite transition. And they stood. In silence. Soon, the eyes from the fireplace were too much, and he had to get out. Stepping out of the room, he shut the door behind him, and looked at Hermione. 

"Would you like to go for a walk?" he asked.

The outdoors were beautiful, sun was out, warm and chilly, the birds preparing to leave for warmer ground, many flying overhead, and two figures quickly walked the grounds, and down a path into the Forbidden Forest. No body noticed, these two people nobody wanted to notice. 

"Follow me, Hermione." Snape said as he led her into the Forest. She followed, not to closely as if they were to be seen. After minutes of walking, they came upon a clearing in the field. The grass was greener than the rest, and the sun filtered in just enough to cause beams of light. 

Her drugged mind took in the sight with awe, the colors in a bright, over-emphasized Technicolor. "Oh." she breathed. "It's beautiful."

Minutes later, they lie together on the ground, their heads fitting into the others shoulder, like a line, staring up into the clouds, with the background blindness of the sun shining through. Earlier, Snape opened up a pocket on his breast, and pulled out two phials, which Hermione recognized closer than immediately. He handed her a phial, exclaiming she only had felt the effect of half, and the full effect was better, and although she didn't tell him, she knew that along with her Muggle drug - life was going to be lustful bliss for the next few hours. They opened the phials slowly, almost with an air of ceremony, and drank the liquids. Feeling the liquid go down her throat again, it reminded her of Ron in the most intimate ways. Her eyes shut in extreme emotions, and she fell to the ground. 

Swirls of smoke rose above them in the sunlight from a lit cigarette in Snape's hand as they lie on the ground. Hermione watched the sunlight hit the ribbons of smoke and illuminate them like beams of white neon lights. The grass tickled her, and the dirt gritted against her skin. Snape's hair blew by her, mixing with her own, and tickling her face. She raised a hand, and brushed it in the trails of the smoke, watching it split and go off into their own swirls with a wave of her hand. She felt Snape reach up and grab her hand, running his fingers along the bones of it, feeling the ridges and the valleys. Electrical current flew in between them both. And she moved her head to the side, so she watched Snape concentrate on her hand above them, swirling the smoke into the designs with her hand. He pulled her hand down, and put out the cigarette in the dirt beside him, kissing her hand, he put it on his chest and just stayed there, basking in the sunlight. 

"I think I love you, Hermione." his deep throaty voice sounded. Hermione shut her eyes and smiled in a lustful way saying her fantasies were coming true. 

"I think I love you, too." she exclaimed, and his head turned to her, and they stared at each other for a long time, until they kissed. 

It was getting dark, and the two almost naked bodies lie back in the grass, their highs slowly reaching down, and their position was like the one on the dungeon room floor. 

"Kill her." the Angel sounded to Snape. And he cringed under Hermione. He saw the Great Angel in the trees, in the woods, in the clouds. He saw her in the moon that was slowly rising to greet them with stars.

The Great Crystal Angel's jealously wasn't something you wanted to mess with, as Snape found out when he gave his loyalty to Voldemort. Hours of demented, terrible, mindless torture was bound to follow. But right now, he had her, Hermione, in his arms, and that was all that mattered to him. Later, not tonight, later, he promised the Angel, not tonight, later. 


	4. Higher Being

Disclaimer: Alright, this is definitely a _Requiem for a Dream_ chapter, probably along with some _Pi_ too, with inspiration coming from those quick-edited, very awesome scenes where the user prepares and delivers their drugs. Hmmm…who else (besides HP) would be credited in here? Maybe _American Beauty_…but only somewhat. I think this is going to be a sexual chapter, although altogether I don't write explicit sexual stuff, but I'm just warning you all…it might get a little creepy. If the writing seems choppy and confusing, that's because it's meant to be that way, this story (and really this chapter) is written like that to show how much their minds are really screwed up, and how much confusion is going on. If anyone has a huge problem with it, and doesn't get it - email me, I'll explain what's going on. Enjoy: 

**__**

Crystal Angel- "Chapter Four- Higher Being"

It was in the afternoon on a weekday, weeks after Snape and Hermione laid out underneath the clouds, and stated drugged confessions of feelings. Weeks after, and she was still alive, and now laying naked across Snape's bed, while he was at the mirror trying to make himself presentable to students and colleagues. It was during a rare moment that both had a free hour, and Snape should have been planning, while Hermione should have been working, but seeing the moment as too good to pass up, here they were. 

"Don't you have classes?" he asked, looking at her in the mirror. Oh - the Great Angel wasn't happy about this. She invaded his doses, invaded his mind, livid with anger. If he looked hard enough anywhere, at anytime, he could see her- highly pissed that this girl was still living - still breathing - still the lover in Snape's eyes.

He watched a hand go down to her breast, and watched as she caressed it, then turning her head towards him, with eyes shut, and let out a tiny whimper. "Yes," she answered, looking at him through the mirror, "yours."

Snape dropped his hands from his chest, where they had been buttoning his clothing up. He swiftly turned, scaring Hermione, who jumped, and shot up on the bed. "Shit! Hermione! Get dressed! Get out of here!" he worriedly said, last thing needed was for them to be found out. Snape picked up her clothing from various places on the floor, and threw them to her. 

"But…" she said sadly, on her knees in the middle of the bed. She picked up her bra and put it on regardless of her complaints. Her eyes still far away, both their minds still flying high. Snape crawled on the bed and stood on his knees with her. He put his hands on the girl's arms, moving a fallen bra strap to its place on her shoulder. 

"Tonight - I'll come for you." he said, kissing her neck, feeling the little shocks of electricity contacting his lips. All he wanted right now was to have her as his all day, all night. For her to be just like she was now. But of course, that wasn't possible. 

Tonight was the night - the night he was to fulfill the Great Crystal Angel's wish. Tonight was the night he was going to murder Hermione Granger.

She shook her head yes, and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply. His heart tore at her future, and her lustful whisper of "I love you, Severus." didn't help matters much.

He smiled, "As do I." They stayed like that for a long time, and then Snape pulled her hands from behind his neck. "You need to fix your makeup." he noted. Black running down her face, red lipstick smudged. She looked like she just had some brilliant lovemaking.

Which - she thought - I did. 

Snape stood there, watching - like he did dozens of times before - as Hermione opened her makeup bag, and slowly, with precision, applied the makeup he loved so dearly. 

"Let me..." he said as she went to apply lipstick to her lips. She stayed still as he carefully applied it - an act he thought highly erotic. Her lips full and parted just a bit, her eyes closed, ringed in black and sliver, feeling the stick brush over her lips. 

"And that's the notes for the Memory Enhancing Potion." Snape said, turning to his class. "Longbottom, if you - by a miracle - get this one right, you better make twice as much." he gave a cold grin as the boy hung his head in shame. Snape turned back around to write that night's assignment on the board.

"Why must you be so cruel to the boy?" a voice came from behind him. He almost dropped the chalk in shock. He drew in a deep breath - and he felt the Crystal Angel's presence behind him. He slowly moved his head to look towards the back of the classroom, where she stood. Standing there, looking at Hermione with anger in her eyes. 

Tonight, oh Great One, tonight! He thought panicking. 

"Oh?" she said, disbelieving. Snape nodded a tiny nod as he made his way to the side of the classroom to get a jar of ingredient. She moved with him from the other side of the room, never taking Her eyes off him, staring at him. "Will you really? Well…I don't care how you do it - but I want it clear that she was murdered, I want it clear she's dead." she was saying, a blissful happiness in her eyes. 

Snape hung his head at the instructions, going to kill cold-blooded, bloody and painful. His eyes flickered to Hermione for a second, and he watched her as she created the potion without any sort of problem, and his blood ran cold as she lifted her eyes to match his, giving the slightest smile on her face. 

"I can't believe you find her attractive…" the Angel was saying, leaning against the wall by Hermione, arms crossed and a look of disgust on her face. "She's weak…hmmm - it's going to be so hard to kill her…isn't it?" She mocked him, walking towards him. "To feel the blood of your lover running down your hands…but you're going to do it - because you never disappointed me for too long, never disobeyed me. Even when you were with that Lord Voldemort," She said the name with a mockery, "you were only _truly_ loyal to me. You love me, Severus; I've brought you warmth, comfort, and love for all these years, even through your rough spots in your life. What has she brought you? A whore to vent your sexual frustrations on?" the Angel snorted, "If it wasn't for me, you'd be crawling with disease from that whore."

Snape's hands shook uncontrollably as he tried not to lash out against her. Why? Why couldn't she see? He was happy! So, so, so happy. Never in his life did he experience the feelings he felt when she held him in her hands, running those blood red lips down his skin, whispering into his ear how much she loved him, as they flew with the sunset. It was perfect, why did She want to ruin it?

"You only love her physically." the Crystal Angel bluntly said. "It doesn't matter how smart she is, how lonely she is. You love her because what she can do to you." She got close to him, and wrapped her arms around his waist, trailing her fingers down, putting her lips close to his ear, and he felt her breath as she spoke, "But you love me for what I am. For what I can bring you. And if what you want is that whore…" She dug her lips deeper into his ear, and her fingers, electrically explosive, trailing around him. He bit his lip so hard he almost tasted blood. "I can give you that…as much as you want…and much, much, more."

"Class dismissed!" he heard himself shout, "Just _leave_!" he ordered to the stunned classroom. He gave Hermione a look as she looked to him, eyes filled with concern. She somehow got the point that he wanted to be alone and left. 

When all the students were out of the room for sure, Snape quickly walked out of the Crystal Angel's grasp. He heard her let out a noise of anger, and he turned from where he was walking. Like he could escape her, no matter what, no matter what he did, where he went, she was there, boring her soul into his, her mind, her eyes. 

Oh God, he thought, help me. 

"WHY CAN'T YOU JUST SEE THAT SHE MAKES ME HAPPY!" he yelled. Almost instantly he regretted it, you never - ever - yell at the Great Angel. She fumed down on him, her eyes alive with fire. He lost control and nearly wept out, "She loves me!" he ran his fingers through his hair frustrated, "I've never been so happy!" he was begging, and he knew - he knew - She didn't like begging. 

"You pathetic creature." She spat. Encircling him, she tortured his soul with the feelings of hatred and impatience. "Severus Snape, I swear, you are going to kill that girl, I want her dead…or I'll never, ever come to you again. If you can't love only me, like you should…"

Oh! Never see her again! Never feel her by his side, looking at him with those eyes, so green, so loving. Never again hearing her voice, that filled his soul with such warmth, such hope. Oh…he looked at her pathetically. He was bound to her; She was with him for so long, he depended on her. He was so weak when it came to her. 

"Alright…" he said, exhausted, "Tonight, my Love. Tonight." he promised. 

The Great Angel's eyes went down in their fire, and she looked at him in complete love and wonderfulness. "That's my Love." she whispered, taking his face into her hands, and sending him into happiness only she could bring. "I love you so much, Severus. As long as you're with me, everything will be alright…"

_Everything will be all right_. The words hung in his brain as he sat at his desk, looking at the chemicals before him. He wasn't going to do this by himself; he wasn't going to do this the way he was now. 

He had to be higher.

Higher than the clouds, higher than the stars. 

The clock stroke ten o'clock in the background. He needed to be there soon, years of experience told him most students didn't go to bed until eleven or so. He would be getting to Hermione by a secret tunnel that connected the dungeons to the dorm she slept in. From what he knew about it, the tunnel was created for two lovers from the rival houses hundreds of years ago. The lovers were caught, and eventually murdered for their relationship by the Slytherin Head of House. 

Tough times. 

Snape took the Crystal Angel and uncapped the phial, he swallowed half of it, and started to see the colors fly by his eyes, he felt her presence near, her air so happy, so proud. With the other half, he set the phial down, and opened up a box. His breath shuddered at the feelings this would give, and his body shook in anticipation at them. 

Higher Power. The Crystal Angel's only boss. The fine green powder that magnified the experience of Her powers by a thousand. When taken with Her blood, the user shot straight past the sunset, the moon, the stars, and into a Supernova so intense the user, if unqualified, would die from sheer insanity of the mind. That's why only certain Crystal Angel users could touch it; only certain users could sell it. He had gotten permission from Her when he was eighteen, and he loved it. He just didn't enjoy the administration of it, it did - however - help in his Death Eater days - when he was the only one used to needles when the gang would go into Muggle establishments and take every drug there to blend in until their attack was set. 

He took a pinch of powder from the box, and let it drop into the Crystal Angel. The green specs floated around for a minute, until it blended, and the phial glowed green. He sighed, pulling out a well-used Muggle needle. Snape drew it up, watching in complete awe as the drug went into the needle. 

Ecstasy, Hermione's drug of choice. She had told him that she had gotten used to the drug mid-summer, and before leaving for Hogwarts, stole from the lab that was in the caretakers house because she didn't have enough money to pay for the dozens of pills that could carry her through the year. Once, he was in the dorm and he saw the bottle, and stole from her. He didn't care if the Angel was watching him, he wasn't just going to go in there and murder and run. No…he was going to at least have a last bit of moment's fun with her. 

Snape pulled the white tablet with a red heart on it towards him, and looked at it. He had taken Ecstasy once before, in his Death Eater days. He was told to blend in, and a woman that was incredibly attracted to him handed him the tablet, which he took. For the next set of hours, he was in the middle of the dance, grinding with the rest as the blood red light flashed wildly in his eyes, illuminating girls on the stage, in cages and on bars. The music of the Muggles pounded right into his soul with each beat, as he danced wildly on the floor, his mind nowhere in particular, his body with the rest, he danced and was enraptured by the music, by the people, by the emotion flying through the crowd. The woman grinded against his body, held on tightly, and he matched her motions in the chemically enriched orgy they were part of into the night. 

Taking the tablet, he put the tiniest drop of the glowing green Higher Being (which was the name of Crystal Angel and Higher Power mixed together) on top of it, letting it sink in. He would give her this…maybe it would fuzz her mind over so much she wouldn't know what was happening until there was no turning back. He didn't want to hurt her, Snape loved her too much, for her looks or whatever, the love was there - and he wanted no pain. 

As he picked up the needle he remembered back weeks ago, when he held her for the first time on the floor, and he watched the spider crawling towards its prey. He didn't feel that Hermione was his prey, and he was spider, but instead, he was the prey…and the spider was faceless, unclear within his mind. But it came to him, as he struggled against it's powerful force, it crawled in an agonizing speed, death coming closer and closer - but never getting there. 

He pulled up the sleeve of his robes, rolling it up until it reached the skin of the underside of his elbow. Snape looked at his arm, red holes marked previous encounters with that horrible needle that brought bliss only those could wish for, looking down, the red outline of the Dark Mark. He grimaced as he remembered the terrible things he had done in those days, and how She hated him dearly for it, leaving him alone, leaving him to ponder her existence, wondering if this was the end. 

Casting a spell above the elbow, he felt the blood stopping underneath it and he took in a deep breath. Slowly he entered the needle, so long, so thick (he had gotten it from a Muggle Junkie), and his face contorted into painful expressions as it entered. He sat there for a moment, letting his mind get used to the needle and prepared for the rush it would give. Slowly he pushed the plunger, and felt a warmth beneath his skin, rising, swimming with his blood, when it was finished he pulled out the needle quickly, and released the spell. Shuttering with pleasure, he felt the Higher Being swim until it hit his brain, and he felt a pull at his body as he flew into the Supernova. 

"Hermione." he whispered when he checked to make sure the dorm was empty save for her. Snape's eyes were wide, taking in the light of the Supernova that played in his vision; his mind was running, body responding to the idea of her touch. He walked stealthily to her bed, curtains drawn except for the one at the foot of the bed, and he stood there, taking in her vision. 

Her body laid out, sleeping. Her hair spread around her, and her body covered in a baby blue nightdress. Snape looked around, and then crawled into the bed from the foot, shutting the curtains behind him. He quietly crawled to her face, and he straddled her body with his arms and legs, his hands on each side of her head, legs tight on each side of hers, locking them together. He brought his lips to her neck and at his touch she jumped awake. 

"Shhhh…" he whispered from her neck. 

"Who's that? Oh…Severus…" Hermione whispered back, putting her arms around his neck and smiling. He whispered a charm that would silence the bed around them, leaving them in complete privacy. 

"I brought you a gift…" he said as she let him climb into the bed with her. Digging her face into his chest she asked what it was. "This…" he answered with the pill on his finger.

"Ecstasy?" she asked, pulling back from him. "I have an entire bot-"

"No no no…" he corrected her. "I laced it…with Crystal Angel…" he explained. And her eyes grew wide with wonder. "Open your mouth." he ordered, and she did. Placing the finger inside her mouth, she encased it with her lips, and sucked lightly on the tip of his finger, feeling the tablet dissolve in her mouth, feeling her body feel lighter and lighter at it. He pulled his finger from her mouth, and trailed it down her chin while looking at her through her eyes. It was almost completely dark in their little coffin, a blue light from the outside shone in between the cracks in the curtains. 

Hermione pulled herself to her elbows, and pulled him under her. She straddled him heavily, pulling off her nightdress, revealing her nude body to him in the pale blue light. She bent down to him and kissed his neck as she undid the buttons on his coat, his fingers running along her body, she breathed tiny moans onto his skin. 

"No…Hermione…" he stopped her before she completely unclothed him, she pulled back and looked down at him. "I want you…only you tonight…" he told her, and her eyes lit up as he guided her body back down on the bed. She ran her hands over his bare chest as he kissed her neck, and guided himself down. Her moans and yelps seemed increased in intensity through this drugged state he was in. He watched her eyes roll back into her head as his lips kissed her lower and lower, his lips sending shots of electricity to her skin. 

Her final shout minutes later struck him into his soul, ringing inside his chest as if someone had taken a set of church bells and let them loose within there. She pulled him back up to her face, kissing it and then resting it on her bare chest, as he laid there with her during her last moments, breathing into her breasts that were as warm and soft as the Angel's.

Oh no…the time has come. He felt the Crystal Angel's presence outside the curtain, he felt her wrath, he felt her need to see the girl below him drowning in her own blood. 

Snape's heart pounded into his skull, his soul cried out against it, his body wanting nothing more than to take Hermione again, make the hardest love to her, and hear her scream out his name over and over. But still his hand moved down onto his pants, where he reached inside and produced a knife. 

"I'm sorry, Hermione." he breathed into her skin as his hand brought the knife up closer to her breast, kissing her skin and hearing the barely audible "Huh?" from her lips, he continued, "I'm sorry…but the Great Crystal Angel wants it done…and she always gets what she wants…"

Hermione must have felt the cold metal of the knife, because she jumped underneath him, and let out a noise that sounded like pain and fear. It rekindled a flame in his soul that hadn't been alive and dancing since the days he killed for Voldemort, and her screams were worthless, except to fuel the flame inside his hungry soul for power and control. He jumped up on all fours once more and straddled her body again, only harder, and brought down the knife into her breast, into her heart, again and again - feeling blood from his lover splash onto his chest, and onto his hands, hearing her cries and her screams as he continued. 

Then he heard a gurgle as blood reached into her mouth, and the struggle had ended, Hermione was gone, the sheets now matching her lipstick. Snape didn't think twice, but fled, hearing the Angel's cries of ecstatic joy over the screams and painful cries of the fearful Hermione. 

Cold…cold water hit him in his face. Standing in his shower, he watched as the cold water hit his body, watched as the red blood swirled in the drain. Snape was still in the Supernova, still flying high, but he had just realized what he did. His body shook underneath the sobs that were coming, and he let it out. That primal scream escaped his throat, shaking his body as he screamed the angry scream along with tears, flowing freely from his eyes, mixing in the water, going down the drain with Hermione's blood.

"Hermione!" he moaned, "Oh! Hermione! I'm sorry!" he cried. Overwhelmed by tears, he didn't realize that hands were around his waist; a body was holding him close, until he felt the prickle of Heaven on his skin, and the smooth, loving voice that cradled him inside his ear.

"Severus…oh, my Love Severus." the Great Angel sounded. "You're so good to me, never disobeying me. I'm so proud of you, my Love. I love you so so much." her lips kissed his back as he moaned in sadness and he whimpered in defeat. "I love you forever, you're so special to me…you are the one I trust and I enjoy pleasing. Oh Severus," she said, encasing him totally in her wings, making his body fly straight into the gates of Heaven and into the arms of the Higher Powder himself, "you are mine…all mine."

But the screams of Hermione invaded his bliss, the image of her dead body below him. A wave of sorrow and regret washed over him. He was going to die…they were going to find him and kill him. He shoved the Great Angel away, and crawled out of the shower. He ran for his lab, and took a cauldron, filled it with a lethal dose of Crystal Angel, and then carelessly threw in Potions he'd know would cause death. Not caring, he just threw them in there. 

Boiling, it was taking so long. Finally, the mixture was ready, and he took the largest bowl he could find to pour it into. Crying for his life, for Hermione, for the mistakes he made from the years he killed without mercy. Crying for the looks on Dumbledore and McGonagall's faces when they saw both him and Hermione dead the next morning. Snape brought the bowl to his lips, and drank deeply. Drinking past the moment his stomach was full, he drank, and he drank. He felt the blackness seep into his brain, he felt his body get numb, and he blacked out, falling onto the ground.

"Severus…" the voice was so familiar, as was the setting. It was Hermione, lying in his bed on top of him, waking him up so gently. "Severus…" she repeated, and he opened his eyes. Opened them to see her smiling face, with her makeup running from sweat, she kissed his bare chest. "Did you have a nice nap?" she asked, running her hands to his waist. 

"Severus! HOW could you! I was the only one you should have trusted! I was the only one you should love! I am the one that keeps you alive, I am the one that gives you comfort!" the Great Crystal Angel screamed in anger at him, knocking Hermione off and tying him to the bed, beating him until he felt the blood seep from open wounds, he screamed for Hermione to go, to leave - but she was sitting right in front of him, her face shining with happiness. Her face glowed on as the Great Angel turned into his Father, and the beating got stronger, and he felt a boot collide within his bones, crushing as he started to call out for his mother, feeling the blows get harder and harder.

"A MAN DOES NOT CALL FOR HIS MOTHER!" his Father's voice roared into his ears, which were bleeding as the blows came to his head. Blinking blood from his eyes, he saw his Mother crying in the corner, wanting so desperately to reach for her son, cradle him in her arms, and tell how much she loved him. 

But he felt the Angel's wings instead, as he lie there, fluttering on his skin, healing those cuts, whispering words of comfort, telling him how special he was, how beautiful he was, how lucky she was to be holding him. 

And distance, distance through his mind, he heard the familiar voice of Dumbledore, saying his name in a rushed, panicked voice; he felt his hands on his skin, his fingers down his throat. 

"Poppy!" Dumbledore called, shoving Snape's wand down the owner's throat to prevent the man from swallowing his tongue as he lashed out on the floor, having the worse fit and seizure anyone had seen, the room was full of Snape's tortured screams, so loud it rung off the walls. Dumbledore was quickly awoken by the Slytherin Prefect, who had heard the Head of his House screaming and crying, and had run in to see what was the matter, to find Snape's nude body tumbling and slamming against the ground, as violent as a fish out of water, his eyes budging from his head, pupils so big they looked like fish eyes. 

"Poppy! Call St. Mungo's immediately!" Dumbledore roared, trying to calm Snape's flinging body down. Poppy ran to the fireplace, calling the hospital. 

Snape, so far away, was screaming just to let him die, he deserved to die, he killed so many, there was nothing left in his life. The screams of Hermione screaming his name in both lust and fear clouded his mind, the images of the Crystal Angel flying him through colors and beating him senseless flew through his mind. Inside his head he was clawing his face, pulling out his hair, screaming and crying in an agonizing pain. 

The medical doctors from St. Mungo's surrounded his body, and one doctor looked at him closely, "Jackson, call the Mental Ward," he said to a nearby orderly, "we have another Crystal Angel victim…"


	5. Regrets and Death

Disclaimer: Ohhh- the final chapter. There won't be anymore _Crystal Angel_ after this. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and to everyone who read it but didn't leave reviews. I'm working on the bigger fanfic; hopefully my beta will contact me soon. Anyway, hmm - credits. Well, duh, Harry Potter isn't mine. What else…there may be an _X-files_ twinge to this, and the lyrics at the bottom (which aren't a part of the story, but I heard the song and thought - 'whoa'…you don't have to read them) are part of the _The X-Files: The Album_. Oh, some _A Beautiful Mind _also. Enjoy! Review-review-Review!! Oh- BTW, I have found the movie script to _Requiem for a Dream_ if anyone would care to read it, email me! Chandra80D@charter.net

**__**

Crystal Angel- "Chapter five: Regrets and Death"

"Can we see him personally?" Minerva asked as her and Dumbledore followed the doctor into an observation room, which was placed right next to Snape's room. 

The doctor, whose nametag read "Dr. Barnley", turned with an apologetic smile, "No, I'm afraid you cannot. He is not allowed any visitors besides his lawyer until the court hearing." Dumbledore let Minerva in ahead of him, when all three were inside, the doctor turned a bit grim. "Now, I know you two have seen some terrible things, but, um, sometimes Crystal Angel users aren't the most welcome sight to see once they've been off the drug in weeks. Severus has been doing well; he just stands there and looks into nothing. But, he talks to himself a lot, and we have him on Suicide Watch." Dr. Barnley explained to the two, who just nodded. "And another thing, about the trial, since he is not mentally capable of making such a strong decision, we're going to leave it to you, Albus. Since Severus was a user of Crystal Angel, we can keep him here under study, instead of him facing the Death Penalty, he'll be here for the rest of his life, but…" the doctor shrugged as he fiddled with his wand, "he'd be helping others who are under it's power."

Albus sat there in a seat in front of the wall, with Minerva by his side. Quietly he pondered this. "Dr. Barnley," he said after a moment, "although I know Severus is under the drug, I do feel his mind is capable of making a decision. Let Severus decide, it is his fate."

The doctor looked stunned for a moment, and then nodded, taking the Headmaster's decision as final, and writing it on a piece of parchment for the lawyer to be notified of. "Shall we begin?" the doctor asked, and the two visitors nodded. The wall before them was disappearing underneath a window charm the doctor used, to where people in the room could see Snape, but Snape couldn't see them. The doctor sat beside Dumbledore, and they watched for a moment.

Snape's room was a blank, white room. A cot, a rickety chair, a toilet, and a built in counter space, presumably for eating, was all that was in his room. Snape stood, looking out the tiny slit that was the window, which a charm had been cast to show a happy outdoors, sometimes a brilliant sunset. His fingers were at his mouth, tapping his lips as he spoke. He was dressed in a thin white pantsuit, common to the people admitted into the mental wards, his hair had been cut short for in fear he'd try and choke himself on it. He stood there, lost, confused, sad, and depressed. Minerva shook a bit, and covered her mouth with her hand, trying to be strong, while Dumbledore's eyes lost their sparkle, and watered a bit at the pain of the one he loved so much. The Doctor gave them a minute to recover, and started to explain.

"Crystal Angel is a powerful drug," he began, "the reason why you haven't heard of it is because it has been kept remarkably underground and secret since it's introduction into our world in the 1970s. Only certain people are allowed to take it. They are chosen by the common side effect that all users see - the "Crystal Angel". She is a vision the users see that takes on their greatest desires, and basically controls them. Other side effects are flying into the sunset, with the colors flying at great speeds past the user, sheer happiness, most of our users describe it as being in Heaven, feeling the Angel touch them and give their hearts what they want. The "Angel", according to the people who have started coming to us for help, is an extremely jealous and protective force. She picks her users young, on how strong and loyal they are. The ones who have helped us observe Severus here say he might have been started on the drug at thirteen."

Minerva started to pace the room, while Dumbledore sat there, concentrating on the doctor. 

"Albus, what was Severus's greatest desire?" the doctor asked, and Dumbledore shut his eyes in a hopeless feeling of regret.

"A Mother, a Lover, someone who lifted him above the rest, loved him so much. His Father, when he was younger, forbid the boy to be in contact with his Mother, and beat him out of preparation for the Dark Side." Dumbledore explained as the doctor took notes. 

"How's it made?" Minerva asked from the other side of the room. 

"We aren't sure, our users haven't been able to obtain a sample. They say the Angel must have noticed their behavior, telling us her secret, and cut them off of her supply. But, from the information we have gathered, it must contain some very, very strong hypnotism spells, control spells, hallucinogen spells, probably a good bit of Dark Magic, and Muggle drugs - charmed so their effects were stronger. I wouldn't be surprised if Severus was helping to make it." the doctor looked between the two of them, who were torn to pieces of Snape's life now. "Do you two understand what I'm trying to say? Once this Angel comes to them, she is a part of them, like a normal human being, like a real person. Her touch, her taste, her feel, her smell, are all apart of their worlds. She's real to them; they say she haunts their dreams. Voldemort," the doctor said seriously, "has nothing on this Angel according to the users." Minerva let out a tiny gasp, and tears began to flow freely from her eyes as Dumbledore spoke the question that was on both their minds. 

"This… "Angel"…told Severus to kill Ms. Granger?" Dumbledore sadly asked. 

The doctor shook his head 'yes'. "It seems like something she would do. Jealous that he was in love with Ms. Granger instead of her." the doctor explained, and Minerva let out a tiny wail at the mention of her student. 

Dumbledore shook his head; so much trust went into Snape…why? Why did he have to fall like this? 

"We have talked to Severus." Dr. Barnley continued, "To tell you the honest truth, I've never seen a man more upset at what he has done. Most of the people who are under the drug come to us when they've had enough. But, Severus…he cries all the time. At night - we can just hear him wailing for Hermione. He says he regrets everything he has ever done, and all he wants right now is to feel her against him again, to feel to warmth of her body against his, to hear her voice. He says Hermione, along with his Father, and the Angel, haunt his dreams, but instead of Anger - like the latter two, Hermione haunts him in a different way. He dreams of them laying in bed, or walking outside. He dreams of her smile, and her bright eyes. He says the ones that hurt him the most are the ones when she's re doing her makeup, and he's putting her lipstick on her. Severus…was in love with this girl. And, I think right now, he'd sell his soul to have her back on the planet." Dr. Barnley shook his head sadly. 

"He was in love with her?" Minerva asked. Dr. Barnley would have expected anger to come from the two Masters of the school, but when he shook his head 'yes', their expressions only got graver. The three said nothing as they watched Snape's lawyer walk into his room. 

Snape stood in the white pantsuit staring out the window of his room. The Great Crystal Angel was sitting in the chair, talking about how much she loved him - and how he was hers forever. But all he thought about was the look on Hermione's face as they made drugged love, and the look when he killed her, but what drove him crazy was the look she had when she realized what was happening.

He smiled. His Angel loved him forever for it. She promised awards beyond his wildest dreams.

Then he remembered the suicide attempt. Oh! He had wanted to leave, to get away, but someone had heard his screams, because the Angel wouldn't let him die. Why did he add the Crystal Angel in there in the first place? He didn't know why, he didn't care. Snape no longer cared about anything anymore. His trial was coming up; he was a dead man walking. But he deserved to die, and he was happy - because finally, his pain and suffering underneath his past would be gone forever! He would be dead, and gone, a burden no longer to himself or anyone else. 'Oh sweet death, come quicker.' he thought.

"I'm so proud of you, Severus." he heard the Crystal Angel say.

"Shut up." Snape snapped - not looking behind him - his eyes focused far off.

"What is that?" another female voice asked. His lawyer. 

"What are you doing here?" Snape's voice bit into the silence. He turned to see the female, dressed in expensive designer robes, carrying a leather briefcase and an expensive quill. She was making way to sit in the chair the Angel was in. 

"Don't sit there." he ordered, the woman stopped hesitantly from sitting.

"Why not?" she asked questionably.

"Because she is sitting there." Snape said flatly.

"Who is she?" the lawyer asked again in her manner.

Snape walked a bit closer to her, but not dangerously close, he knew spells would keep him tied down if he lost control, while orderlies would come and sedate him. "Who is who?" he asked, and then remembered, "Oh - forgive me - sit, go ahead." and the woman sat down. "You must forgive me…it's very - disturbing. I'm trying to get in my head that…she's not real." Snape said sadly, and he felt his control over situations slip through him as the days in the ward re-formed his mind. His body craved for the sunset again, and even though he could see the Great Crystal Angel…her presence was getting weaker and weaker, and he was afraid to go another day without a dose, because he would lose her for sure.

"I bet it is." the lawyer said uncaringly. "I'm here to discuss with you your case in front of the court for the last time before tomorrow." she explained as he sat on the bed and shook his head in understanding. "Now, since you are a victim to this drug that the hospital knows next to nothing about, you can fight the Death Penalty for the chance to stay here, under observation for the rest of your life, so the doctors can study the drug." the lawyer said, although there was a tone in her voice that said he should be killed right here and then, not to be wasting taxes on, money to keep him alive.

Snape sat there for a moment, thinking. And he shook his head 'No' after a moment. "No, I cannot except that offer." he said, looking at the lawyer, and despising her expensive robes, her high-class air around her. "I have done things that warrant me death. I wish for it everyday. I deserve death, no longer being able to accept this privilege of being alive." his voice cracked a bit as he felt a tear go down his face, "Not without Hermione…I have no reason to live, not without her."

"I'm so proud of you! Even though you're also thinking of the whore! You are going to _die_ for me instead of tell my secret! Oh, Severus, you _are_ truly loyal to only me!" the Angel sounded happily against the wall opposite to him. He looked up at her, and felt a presence, a presence he hadn't felt in a long time. 

"You're going to accept the Death Penalty?" the lawyer asked, unbelieving. 

"Yes…" he stated off-handedly, "Do I have company?" he changed the subject quickly.

"No, you don't have company." the lawyer said too quickly, and Snape got up from the bed and started to walk towards the wall. 

On the other side, Minerva and Dumbledore quickly got closer to the glass as Snape walked up to it. 

"Albus!" they heard Snape call, his voice muffled through the wall, "Minerva!" Snape started to pound against the wall, trying to get to them. Tears pooled in his eyes, and started to fall, as they watched Snape's fingers try and grasp the solid flat surface, they put their hands up to the glass, as if trying to touch them. Snape leaned his forehead onto their hands from the other side, and cried against the glass. They watched as he looked up, and screamed their names again and again, pounding. And finally, he stopped pounding, but stood there, hands on the glass, hoping they'd hear him, and he stood crying, at the top of his lungs, but still muffled from the glass: "I'm sorry," he cried, "I'm so so sorry, I'm sorry…I'm sorry…I'm sorry!"

"You, Severus Snape, have been charged with procession and the creation of an illegal drug, sexual acts with a minor, partnership with Voldemort and the Dark Arts, including using the Forbidden Curses, and with the murder of Ms. Hermione Granger. It is my decision, along with the courts, to punish you with death." the judge stated to Snape, who stood in front of him, flanked by his lawyer on one side, and a strong uniformed public safety protector on the other. Snape, who had his head bowed at the shame of his terrible past being read out in front of the court, which included many people from the press, and the public, including nearly every teacher from Hogwarts, along with Harry and Ron. Lights flashed in his vision and voices spoke as Snape lifted his head to look at the Judge, and to say a low "Thank you." before the guard lead him out onto the courtyard, where a stake was fixed in the ground, surrounded by bales of hay. On his way, his arms tied behind him, he noticed two people who looked out of place, and then two people he knew more than well enough. 

Hermione's parents looked at him with anger in their eyes, Harry and Ron did do. Snape stopped in his tracks, and did the only thing he could, yell. 

"_How dare you! Kick her out! Leave her alone in the world! You should die right alongside me! You are poor excuses for parents and friends. Don't cry you dumb bitch - you put her out into a world where a nameless Muggle could as easily murdered her. At least with me she was cared for, and I loved her until her last breath, and I still do this day! I would rather see her dead instead of the Hell you have created for her in her-own-home, or out on the streets! And you two! Saying you were her friends?! Weasley! You dated her; you made love to her…why didn't you see what you had?! Why didn't you all see what you had made her into!? You didn't love her, none of you did! I only loved her! It was only me!_" he yelled, spitting and cursing the family and friends all the way to the stake, where he was bound to it. He watched as Mr. Granger put his arms around his sobbing wife, and he watched as Harry and Ron looked guilty at the ground. 

Snape looked around him at the people filing out of the courtroom to see his death, he looked around at the press, snapping pictures, and writing down articles. The people were faceless, he no longer cared. He was in something close to a dream, the one thing he had wanted for so long was about to come true, he had wanted this longer than he had wanted love, a partner, a mother, he has wanted Death since he could speak the word. He barely listened to the executor read the last statement, but instead, he focused on something crawling on the ground. 

A spider, crawling towards him, looking towards him. Snape could have sworn to see fine thread come from the creature, and wrap around his foot, preparing, waiting for his death. The fires were ablaze around him, and a sudden thought wrapped in his mind. The Great Angel! Where was she!? Where was her Protection? After all, he was dying for her, so he wouldn't let her secret out into the open. The fire licked his clothes, and he felt his skin start to char, the pain unbearable, and he looked through hazed eyes for the Angel, the one that brought him so much love.

But she wasn't there. She wasn't there! He felt the fire engulf him, he felt it burn past his skin, and a vision of a smiling Hermione came into his mind, but pain washed it out before it could bring any source of relief. And then he heard a voice, a voice so far away, but he recognized it as the Great Crystal Angel's, her voice was no longer sweet and comforting, it no longer cradled his bruised body in it's tone, but it was cold and mocking, laughing at this pain, laughing at his stupidity to trust such a thing like her. 

"Surely…" she laughed into his burning skull; "surely you wouldn't think I'd come to you and protect you when I no longer needed you? You are such a stupid boy, Severus, to trust a drug as me, to trust someone like me. Severus Snape, tsk tsk, I no longer care about you, I no longer want you." she laughed a cold laugh. And Snape, somehow through the pain he was feeling, saw her meaning. And he cried, tied to the pole, his tears vaporizing as soon as they were formed, he cried, he was alone. And as the darkness spread across his burning vision - this time for good - he was alone in his pain, and not even the face of Hermione saved him. 

The End. 

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Well? Sad, I know, I guess the moral of the story is not to go out and run to drugs to solve your problems. ::shrugs:: Sorry if I severely depressed anyone in the reading of this story. And now, for the lyrics I promised. They're not *exactly* in tune with the story, but, I figured it would be something that would run through Snape's mind, I don't know. You don't have to read them, but here they are:

X "Crystal Ship" _The X-Files: The Album_

Before you slip into unconsciousness  
I'd like to have another kiss   
Another flashing chance at bliss   
Another kiss, another kiss  
  
The days are bright and filled with pain  
Enclose me in your gentle rain   
The time we ran was too insane   
We'll meet again; we'll meet again   
  
Oh, tell me where your freedom lies   
The streets are fields that never die   
Deliver me from reasons why  
You'd rather die; I'd rather fly   
  
The crystal ship is being filled  
A thousand girls, a thousand thrills  
A million ways to spend your time   
When we get back, I'll drop a line 


End file.
